Street and station indicator for cars.



AL FERNANDEZ. STREET AND STATION INDIGATOR FOR CARS.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 20, 1913.

Patented Mar. 3, 1914.

4 BHEETSSHEET 1.

' wvemto'a A. FERNANDEZ. STREET AND STATION INDICATOR FOR CARS.

I r I APPLIOATIONIILED 001 .20, 191a.v 1,089,1 97 Patented Mani), 1914.

v 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2. W fc A. FERNANDEZ. STREET AND STATION INDICATOR FOR CARS. APPLICATION FILED 001? 20, 1913.

1 9 1927 Patented Mar. 3, 1914.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

i/ilmeowa A. FERNANDEZ. STREET AND STATION INDICATOR FOR CARS.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 20, 1913 Patented Mar. 3-

4 sums-SHEET 4.

Hwvawtoz ALPHONSE FERNANDEZ,

OF MOBILE ALABAMA.

STREET AND STATIClN INDICATOR FOR CARS.

wearer.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 3, 191st.

Applicat'ibn filed October 20, 1913. 'fierial No. 796,26

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, ALPrroi; sn FERNANDEZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mobile, in the county of Mobile and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Street and Stat on Indicators for Cars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates particularly to apparatus for automatically indicating in succession the cross streets passed by a car while traveling its usual route, but my improvements may also be employed for inparts being broken,..away. Fig. 2 shows a transverse section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 3 shows a transverse section on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4; is a detail view in perspective, showing how the trolley wheel takes the current from a trolley wire for operating the apparatus when the latter is electrically operated. Figs. 5 and 6 are on an enlarged scale. Fig. 5'is a plan view of part of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 with the top of the casing removed. Fig. 6 shows a side elevation of such apparatus with the side of the casing removed. Fig. 7 is a detail view of the gearing employed for connecting the electric motor with the indicating devices. Fig. 8 is another detail view of said gearing. Fig. 9 is a view, on an en.- larged scale, of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, but showing a certain addition thereto by means of which the apparatus may be mechanically operated. Fig. 10 is a view, in side elevation, showing how the apparatus may be operated mechanically. Fig. 11 is a detail view of the mechanism employed for operating the web carrying the street names and numbers and indicating how this web may be moved in opposite directions. Fig. 12 1s a detail view ,in section and on an enlarged scale, showing the means for shifting the gearing whereby the indicating mechanism may be moved by the motor in opposite directions or may be thrown out of operation.

My apparatus is especially intended for use on electrically propelled street cars operated by either overheador underground trolleys, but it may be used on cars or vehicles of other kinds.

1. will herein confine the description of my invention to apparatus especially suitable for use on street cars, said apparatus being propelled by electricity taken from a trolley wire or by a suitable mechanical device on the track.

In Fig. 1 T have indicated a part of the car frame by the letter A and B designates the casingof the principal part of the indicator which may be placed at one end of the car in an elevated position so that its glazed opening I) may be plainly seen. The end of the casing having the glazed opening 6 may be hinged at a. so that the interior of the apparatus may be conveniently reached. Within the casing, on a shaft 0, is mounted an electricmotor C which. is at times supplied with current by wires (i, one of which extends along or through the trolley pole D, and connects with a finger d which is adapted to make wiping contact with an arm 6 eXtending from the trolley wire E. This arm is preferably located midway between two crossing streets so-that current is only supplied to the motor for a short time when the car has passed one street and is approaching another.

The shaft 0 is supported in a swinging frame I, comprising a horizontal cross-piece i and the vertical arms i. The frame also has a lateral extension 11 to accommodate the motor, and to this extension is attached a handle I which extends through an opening in the casing B and is provided with notches i adapted to engage the casing in the manner indicated in Fig. 1.

The motor Cis operativcly connected with a large spur wheel F, by pinions G and H. One of these pinions is secured to the motor shaft 0 while the other is supported on the outer end of an arm 0 extending from the shaft 0. The pinion H is secured to the shaft 0 (Fig. 5) and the pinion G at times meshes with the spur wheel F and then operatively connects the shaft c .with said spur wheel. The pin a carrying the pinion G, is extended through a curved slot 6 in the casing and carries a nut or handle J by means of which the pinion G may handle I is in, the position shown in Fig. 1 the motor is connected with the spur wheel F by both pinions G and H. If the pinion G is moved upward by the handle J and the handle I *is pushed inward the motor.

is connected with the spur wheel F by the pinion H only,'and if the handle I, is drawn out to a sufficient extent the motor is entirelydisconnected from the spur wheel. By this mechanism the spur wheel may be made to revolve in either direction or may be so disconnected from the motor that the latter may operate without in any way affecting the indicator.

The spur wheel, when revolved, will hav some momentum and in. order to regulate this, I provide the brake mechanism K. This consists of an armature leveric pivoted at k to the casing B and having a claw 70 adapted to engage the spur wheel F. This lever 70 is operated by an electro-magnet K supplied with current by wires 70 (306peratingwith the armature lever is a disk L, having a fiat peripheral part Z adapted to engage the lever is and connected with a pinion Z engaging the spur wheel F. When the motor receives current motion is imparted to the spur wheel. The armature lever 70 is lifted and a complete revolution is given to the disk L. I

The contact devices d and e' engage each other for only a short time but long enough for the motor to be set in operation and the momentum of the motor is sufficient to cause a proper operation of the spur wheel F which is moved far enough to cause the pinion Z to be given a complete revolution and also far enough to cause the web M to be shifted to change the name of the street displayed. By 'ving' to the pinion Z a complete revolutlon the disk L is revolved until its flat portion l comes under thearmature lever is and as the circuit is now broken the armature lever dro s and its claw 72? engages the spur wheel and prevents further: rotation thereof.

The names and numbers of the streets may be printed or indicated on a web M,

' attached at its opposite ends to rollers m, m,

and extending over guide rods N. The web may be made of great length sufficient to contain all the street names or numbers on the line, and may be passed from one roller to the other by the mechanism shown. The rollers m, m are located above and below the glazed opening 6 so that the part of the web'between the rollers may display the name or number of the street as it is approached.-

The roller m 'is carried-by two levers N pivoted to the opposite side of the casing at .n. The roller m extends through curved slots 6 in the sides of the casing and carries heads or handles N whereby the roller may be shifted. These heads or handles may be threaded nuts so as to hold the roller in its adjusted position. The roller m carries a pinion O, engaging or adapted to engage:

the spur wheel F, and by means of the han-. dles N the pinion 0 may be, engaged with or disengaged from sai'd'spur wheel. Simi-. larly the roller m is connected with the outer ends of levers N pivoted at n to the cti-sing B and the ends of the roller m extend through guide slots 6 in the casing and are provided with handles N by means of 'which the pinion 0 carried by the roller m-may be'engaged with or disengaged from the spur wheel FL Thehandles N? are also preferably in the formof screw nuts by means o fwhichthe roller m may be held in its adjustedposition. In this way the web M may be drawn from the roller m onto the, roller m or vice versa, by means of the'gearing above described.

In Fig. l the apparatus is shown as adjusted to cause the web to pass from the roller m to the roller m, but after the web is wound on the roller m it may, if desired, be wound by hand back onto the roller m, but the mechanism shown provides. means by which the motor C may be employed'for. this purpose at any' time, or it may do so step by step as the car returns over the route previously traveled.

By employing the pinions G and the spur wheel F maybe revolved in either direction and by shifting the pinions O and 0 complete controlis given to the movement of the web under all conditions.

It may-be desirable to display the names or numbers of the streets at both ends of the car, or it may be desirable to have the motor operate signs or apparatus for not only displaying the street names or numbers but also advertisements, and when this is the easel employ another indicator P, illus trated in Fig. 1. The casing Q, of this part of the apparatus may be of any suitable kind and it is provided with a glazed opening 9. 'Within the casing is a large spur wheel F pivotally connected with the sides of the casing at f and geared to the spur wheel Fby a shaft F carrying at opposite ends pinions f f geared as shown with the spur wheels F, F.

'The web M havingthe street numbers and ,names on it is connected with rollers R, R mounted on levers r, pivoted at r to the sides of the casing. The rollers R, R extend through curved slots 7' in the casing and carry nuts R similar to the nuts N by means of which the levers may be shifted so that either the roller R or B may be operatively connected with the spur wheel F by its pinion n Itwill thus be understood Loewe? that every time the car reaches the middle of the block the apparatus is operated to shift the web M or both webs M, M to display the name or number of the next street or any other desired designation.

1 may so construct the apparatus that it may be operated either electrically or mechanically. Thus in Fig. 9 I have shown mechanism the same in all respects as that shown inthe preceding figures of the drawings, but being provided with additional de vices by means of which the-apparatus may be connected with mechanical means for operating it. As most of the mechanism is similar to that shown in Fig. 1 similar letters of reference have been employed in Fig. 9. The shaft 0, as shown in Fig. 9, is provided with a spur wheel S carrying a sprocket chain S extending through openings s in the bottom of the casing B and this chain extends also downwardly through the floor T of the car, as shown in Fig. 10, its lower portion passing around a sprocket wheel U the shaft u of which is suspended by a hanger t, depending from the car floor. The hanger 25 also supports at its lower end a horizontally arranged bar V, from which depends a bracket '0 to which is jointed at c the upper end of a bar V, carrying at its lower end a roller V To this bar V is attached a horizontal frame W, connected by springs to to the horizontal bar V. The arrangement is such that the bar V may swing on its pivot '22 and thus swing the frame W. To the opposite ends of this frame V are pivoted at w pawls X, X. These extend up through the horizontal bar V and are adapted to engage a ratchet wheel X secured to the shaft a.

Each pawl carries at its upper end a tooth g] which is pivoted to the pawl at z. A sprin z is interposed between the tooth and tie outer portion of the pawl.' The teeth 3/ are adapted to engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel X while the upper portions 2 of the pawls are adapted to engage rollers 7 carried by hangers t extending diagonally downward and inward from the floor of the car. By'these devices the pawls are guided in such manner that when one of them is raised its upper portion 2 which is engaged by the roller 1 will cause the teeth y to engage the ratchet wheel X and move it and when the pawl descends its tooth y will be moved out of the path of the ratchet wheel. By reason of the spring 2 the tooth may yield when retreating from the ratchet wheel Y indicates a bell crank lever pi votally connected with the bar V and having one arm connected by a rod Y with a hand lever Y'- The other arm of the lever Y is connected by a rod Y with the bar V by a slotand-pin connection 7 By means of the lever Y the roller V may be raised and lowered so as to be placed into or out of 0pcrating position.

Z indicates a ramp rail or other projection on the track which is adapted to engage the roller V. This device is preferably located on the track midway between two cross streets and when the roller V 2 engages it the bar V will be swung on its pivot and cause one of the-pawls to be operated to turn the shaft u and. thus the sprocket chain S and then by means of the sprocket wheel S the motor shaft 0, and so the indicator will be properly operated. It will be observed that the wheel X is considerably larger than the wheel S and a partial revolution of so the wheel X may impart a complete revolution of the wheel S. The gearing may of course be properly constructed and arranged to accomplish the desired result.

It will be understood that the 'mechanism shown in Fig. 1 may be used separately and independently of that shown in Figs. 9 and 10. At times the electric motor may be'disregarded and the apparatus operated by purely mechanical devices. In either case the desired result will be obtained.

It will also be understood that the operation of one form of the apparatus does not interfere wtih the operation of the other form thereof. Thus the apparatus shown in Fig. 9 may be electrically operated if the car is on an electric line where it is desired to employ the electric motor for operating the indicator. If the motor is thus operated the sprocket chain will be turned because the pawls X, X are out of the path of the ratchet wheel X and no harm can-result from the operation of the sprocket chain. In like manner it the apparatus is operated mechanically the presence of the electric motor is never a disadvantage, but where the apparatus is operated mechanically the brake mechanism K will not be employed.

I claim as my invention:

1. A street and stationindicator, comprising rollers, a web attached to said rollers'and carrying the street and station numbers, a spur w'h. el, gearing for connecting said spur wheel with said rollers, an electric motor, gearing connecting the motor with the spur wheel, means for shifting the gearing to reverse the movement of the spur wheel, and brake mechanism for the spur wheel comprising an electrically operated armature lever engaging said spur wheel and a disk having a flat side revolved by said spur wheel and engaging said armature lever.

2. A street and station indicator, comprising a web containing designations of the streets and stations, rollers to which the opposite ends of the web are connected, :1.

spur wheel, gearingjor connecting the spur wheel with said rollers, means for connecting and disconnecting said gearing from said spur wheel, an electric motor, pinions for connecting said motor with the spur .wheel, means for shifting said pinions toreverse the movement of said spur wheel and electric 'brake mechanism operating upon said spur wheel, V

3..A street :and station indicator, comprising a web containing designations of the streets and stations, rollers to which the opposite ends of the web are connected, a spur wheel, gearing between said rollers and saich'spur wheel, a shaft (0), means for rotating said shaft, a pinion on said shaft, an intermediate pinion meshing with the pinion on said shaft and with the spur wheel, means for moving said intermediate pinion into and out of gear with said spur wheel,

means for moving the pinion on said shaft 7 into and out of gear with said spurwheel, and means for shifting the gearing between said web-carrying ro1lers and said spur wheel into and out of communication with said spur wheel.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

ALPHON SE FERNANDEZ, \Vitnesses:

O. E. FARISH, ED. J. GROVE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents, Washington, D. O. 

